VANCOUVER, Wash. - Clark Women's Cross Country welcomes Lauren Filipczak from Washougal High School in Washougal, WA!

When asked why she chose to attend Clark, Lauren said "I had already heard many great things about the team, but when I found out my teammate Sydnee was signing, I thought it would be great to get to run with her for two more years! I'm most excited about making new friends on the team and getting to improve as an athlete."

Lauren's love for her teammates and value of relationships are a big part of what will make her a great addition to Clark. Clark Coach Owen Frasier was quick to point that out about Filipczak by saying "I couldn't speak more highly of Lauren the person. There are so many girls that we are recruiting that are excited she's signing with us because they want her to be their teammate. Her current teammates, friends from other schools, I know that I am very happy to get to coach her."

Her individual success on the cross country course speaks for itself as well. Lauren ran a 5K PR of 21:45 at the 2A District Championships this fall, helping Washougal to the team title a week after helping them to a League Championships as well. Her improvement from her freshman year to senior year has been impressive. It's a big part of what Frasier sees in recruiting Lauren. "We love to see athletes who have made consistent improvements throughout their career, and that's exactly what Lauren has done. We believe those improvements will continue at Clark."

The Panthers, like Filipczak, finished strong the last two years at State by finishing on the podium in 3rd and 4th place the last two years. When asked to describe Lauren, Washougal cross country coach Tracey Stinchfield raved about what Filipczak has meant to their program. "Lauren has always been a great runner and eager to work hard, but this year she saw a need on our team and really stepped up! Race after race we saw her push harder and achieve new PRs. It has become clear that we have not seen her full potential yet! She's an invaluable member of our team and we look forward to watching her in college!"



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